Published Oct 29, 2026 | 12:12 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 29, 2026 | 12:12 PM
Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. (File Photo)
A special court in Chennai on Thursday adjourned to November 2 the hearing on a bail petition filed by former Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in an alleged ₹100-crore bribery case involving approvals for private schools.
Anbil Mahesh and others have been booked in connection with the alleged bribery case. He was remanded to judicial custody until November 6 following his arrest.
The bail petition came up for hearing before Judge LS Sathyamurthy.
Appearing for the police, the prosecution counsel informed the court that a petition had been filed seeking permission to take Anbil Mahesh into police custody for interrogation.
Meanwhile, the counsel for Anbil Mahesh said a separate petition had been filed seeking the return of electronic devices seized during searches at his residence. The counsel requested that the court also hear the petition.
The judge directed the police to file their response to Anbil Mahesh’s bail plea and adjourned the hearing on all three petitions to November 2.
The preliminary investigation by Chennai Police’s Central Crime Branch found that several crores of rupees had allegedly been collected from 177 private schools seeking approvals.
Reading out the High Court’s order rejecting Anbil Mahesh’s anticipatory bail petition earlier, the prosecution had explained the background of the case. It alleged that online financial transactions had also taken place and claimed to have video evidence of money transfers. The prosecution said it suspected a scam involving ₹400 crore.
According to the allegations, money was collected from private educational institutions by promising to secure government approvals during the DMK’s tenure, including permissions for school recognition and other regulatory clearances.
The Central Crime Branch police had registered a case and investigated the allegations. In connection with the case, two other individuals, identified as Suresh and Raja, were also arrested.
On September 16, 2026, the Central Crime Branch conducted searches at nine locations linked to companies associated with Anbil Mahesh. These included firms in Chennai and Tiruchirappalli, and companies connected to his alleged associates, Valadi Karthi and Arun Prakash.
During the searches, the police seized cheques, 118 documents and records, 18 mobile phones, three laptops, eight pen drives and two desktop computers.
The police reportedly found evidence indicating Anbil Mahesh’s alleged links to the case. The arrest was made following the investigation and the dismissal of his anticipatory bail petition.
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(With inputs from Subash Chandra Bose. Edited by R Rajesh Kumar.)
